Paper Model of the

Samrat Yantra
Instructions
This instruction set is intended to accompany the Samrat Yantra model
PDF from [Link]. The model PDF includes templates for both a
simple and advanced version. I recommend starting with the simple ver-
sion, especially if you have not had much experience crafting objects from
paper. The two models are similar in appearance (in the photo above the
advanced version is on the left and the simple version on the right). The
only difference is that the advanced version has curved supports for the
quadrant scales that are closer in form to the original. However, forming
the curve correctly and attaching the index surface is quite challenging.

© 2016 Barry Perlus

1
Tools should be very smooth so it does not
tear the paper.
You will need a smooth work surface
Kneaded eraser. Used for cleaning up
with a good cutting surface. I strongly
excess glue, fingerprints or smudges
recommend the self-healing type of
on the paper surface. This soft type
cutting surface available at craft stores.
of eraser absorbs stains and does not
Ink jet or laser printer damage the surface.
to print templates.
Old credit card. Used for pressing and
Scissors smoothing the paper template when
gluing it to the foamcore. Also used as
Sharp craft knife such as an x-acto a folding tool to get straight clean folds
knife with #11 blade, or break-away on smaller parts.
blade cutter such as an Olfa. Buy extra
blades! The advantage of the Olfa is
that you can renew its blade tip fre-
quently. The advantage of the x-acto Supplies
#11 is that it has a very narrow tip that
is good for precise cutting. White card stock (110 lb.) to print tem-
plates – at least 12 sheets of 8.5” x 11”
Metal ruler or straight edge. A ruler
with a non-slip base is a plus, but you 1/8” foam core board – (4) 8.5” x 11”
can add a strip of masking tape to sheets or the equivalent.
the bottom of a plain metal ruler to
improve its grip. Fast-setting white glue (water base)
that dries clear. I use Aleen’s “Fast
Pencil grab” Tacky Glue, but any “tacky”
type craft glue should be fine. A
Small wooden stick fast-setting glue helps the build process
about 1/8” x 1/4” x 5”. to move along at a reasonable pace, as
many of the pieces are made with mul-
“Bone folder” for scoring the lines to be
tiple folds and glued joints that must be
folded. A traditional “bone folder” is
done one at a time.
best, but a scoring tool can be impro-
vised from any hard thin object with a
blunted edge. I’ve used a letter opener
or even the rounded handle of a small
binder clip as a substitute. The edge

2
Step-by-Step
Instructions
After you have cut the base from the
template, you may wish to blacken the
edge with a marker to make it cleaner
looking. Carefully apply the marker
directly to the edge of the foamcore. A
1/8” area along the edge will be cov-
ered by the side walls, so don’t worry
if the marker bleeds or overlaps a little
onto the printed area.

Trim

Cut the base from the glued template.

Base
Tips - Whenever possible, place the
Decide whether to build the simple or straightedge so that it covers the print-
advanced version, and glue the appro- ed area. That way, if your knife should
priate paper base template to a sheet of drift away from the straightedge, your
1/8” foam core. Follow these steps: stray cut will not damage the area used
for the model. Also, when cutting the
Glue inside corners, or any place where the Gnomon Bottom
lines of the model meet at a sharp an-
Hold the template up to the light, and on gle, start the cut from the point where
the back side draw lightly in pencil the lines meet and cut away from the The gnomon bottom is part of the base
to trace the outer edge and the lines model towards the outside of the sheet. template and will be used a little later
where the gnomon, quadrants, steps when assembling the gnomon. Cut
and other parts will be glued. carefully along the outline to make the
gnomon bottom.
Apply glue to the back side of the tem-
plate along these lines and also to a few
spots in the areas in-between, so that
there will be multiple points of contact
to hold the paper flat to the foam core
board.

Flip the paper over and carefully place

it on an 8.5” x 11” foam core board.
Using an old credit card, press the
paper into contact with the foam core
with gentle strokes beginning from the
center and working out towards the
edges.

3
Gnomon Glue

Cut First, glue the small tab at the top of the

back to the top section, then glue the
Carefully cut the gnomon from the printed tab that runs along the vertical edge of
template using a straightedge and knife. the back to the side section. Adjust the
folds so that the vertical edges of the
back and the edges of the sloping top
form 900 angles with the sides.

Fold

Fold the sides, back, and tabs of the gno-

mon away from the printed side at 900.
It can help to use the sharp edge of a
table, or a metal straightedge, to make
the fold cleanly. In the photo above, I
am using a metal ruler as an edge to Next, glue the bottom into place. Apply
fold against, and in the photo below, glue along the edges of the walls and
I am using a metal ruler underneath insert the bottom so that it is flush with
the part I am folding, and a credit card the edges of the gnomon walls and
to hold the other part flat against the fits up against the back wall. See the
table. As I rotate the ruler up, it applies photos (left). Once the bottom is fitted
even pressure along the fold line, giving into position, press lightly all along the
a nice clean, straight fold. bottom edge of the walls to make the
glue joint complete. Allow the glue to
dry and proceed to make the quadrant
supports.

Score

Use a bone folder or similar tool and a

straightedge to score the gnomon along Test Fit
the dotted lines in preparation for
folding. Several strokes with medium Test fit the folded parts to see that every-
pressure will produce a score so that thing fits together and lines up. Look
when you fold, you get a nice straight to see where the glue tab will fit and
edge. which surfaces will need to be glued.

4
Quadrants
Supporting Structures
Glue: First, be sure the three tabs on the
Decide which version you will make. bottom and the one tab on the side
There are four templates - two each are folded 900 away from the printed
for an advanced and a simple version. side. Apply glue to them. Then fold
Each version has an east and west the bottom away from the printed side
quadrant. and bring the four sides around to meet
the bottom tabs. Press lightly along
the glue joint to make certain the tabs
and sides make good contact. Check Use a small stick to press the tabs against
to be sure the corners are square, so the side walls from inside.
that when you place the structure on
its bottom, the walls seem vertical (not
tilted); adjust if necessary. It is possible
to separate a glue joint and reposition
it if you act quickly!

A small stick, as mentioned in the “tools”

section, is very handy for applying
pressure to glue joints from the inside.
Simple quadrant template It will also help when tucking tabs into
place when there is no access to the in-
side of a form. In the final step, gluing
the top into place, it may be helpful to
start at one corner and gradually push
the tab inside as you work towards the
other corner.

Tip: If you get glue on your fingers, you

can quickly rub your fingers together
to dry and remove the glue. It’s a good
idea to keep your fingers free from glue
so that you don’t get glue marks on the
printed surfaces of the model.
Advanced quadrant template

Supporting Structure - West

Quadrant.
Cut: Carefully cut the supporting
structure from the appropriate print- The finished support structure is a simple
ed template for the west quadrant using rectangular box.
a straightedge and knife.
Supporting Structure - East
Score: Use a bone folder or similar tool
and a straightedge to score along the
Quadrant.
dotted lines in preparation for folding. Repeat the previous steps to make the
Several strokes with medium pressure supporting structure for the east quad-
will produce a score so that when you rant.
fold, you get a nice straight edge.

Fold along the dotted lines to make 900

angles. It can help to use the sharp
edge of a table, or a metal straightedge, Bring the four sides around to meet the
to make the fold cleanly. bottom tabs.
Test fit the folded parts to see that every-
thing fits together and lines up. Look
to see where the glue tabs will fit and
which surfaces will need to be glued.
5
the bottom curves all the way to the
point, but in fact there is a short section
(about 1/2”) that is flat. In the final
assembly, this flat section will be up
against the quadrant support structure.
Once you have test fitted the quadrant
and bottom, and understand how they
fit together, you can begin to glue.

Advanced Version

For the advanced version, cut the quadrant

and quadrant surface from both the
east and west quadrant template sheets,
Quadrants and be sure to write “east” and “west”
If you are making the advanced version, on the back side of each part. Cut
I recommend that you wait until later the east and west quadrant bottoms
to make the quadrant. This is the most oversize from the base walls template
difficult part of the model because of sheet, and glue them to 1/8” foamcore. Test fit - the pointed end of the bottom
its compound curve, and it will help to Be sure to leave the printed text visible should be at the fold that corresponds
have more experience from building (glue the other side). Once the glue to the edge of the lower side (2nd fold)
other parts of the model first. has dried, carefully trim them to their and the square end should be even with
exact shape. Use multiple light strokes the fold of the small end tab
Simple Version and hold the knife so that it cuts down
through the foamcore vertically. It’s
For the simple version, the east and west important that these edges be as square
quadrants are identical. Cut both as possible.
quadrant shapes from the west
quadrant printed sheet, leaving at
least 1/4” of white border. Glue these
to 1/8” foamcore and allow the glue
to dry. Then cut along their outlines to
make an east and west quadrant. Cut
the second set of quadrant shapes from
the east quadrant sheet, cutting Glue the quadrant to the bottom, be-
exactly along their outlines. Glue ginning at the lower end of the high
these to the other side of the foamcore side, and fitting the bottom so that the
to make the finished quadrants. square end just lines up with the fold
of the small end tab. Try to have the
bottom piece flush with the bottom
edge of the quadrant.

Continue gluing the quadrant to the bot-

tom, insuring that the fold that marks
the edge of the shorter side is just at
the sharp endpoint of the bottom, and
continuing around - the end of the
lower side should be at the corner of
the square end of the bottom piece.
Use multiple strokes with your knife to cut
through the template and foamcore. Score and fold the quadrant along the dot-
Especially when cutting a curved piece, ted lines, and test fit the bottom piece
several light strokes will make a cleaner against the bottom edge of the quad-
cut, and allow you to cut with more [Link] fold that corresponds to the
precision. edge of the shorter side will be a much
sharper bend, almost doubling back on
Wait until final assembly of the model itself, to conform the the sharp, pointed
before you attach the index surface and corner of the bottom. The fold making
make the angled cut on the bottom the edge of the high side will have a
edge. very shallow angle. It looks as though

6
Carefully bend the index back, and apply
glue to the next three or four tabs.

This is how the quadrant should look after

gluing the walls to the base.
Press the index into place, adjusting the
Begin gluing the index, or hour scale, to curve of the quadrant with the fingers
the small tabs on the curved edge of of one hand while fitting and pressing
the quadrant walls. The end that would the index into place with the other.
correspond to 12:00 should be even
with the lowest end of the quadrant
and the hour marks should line up with
the edge of the lower wall. Having
the index even with the end of the
quadrant is important for time telling
accuracy, because the wall of the gno-
mon represents noon in observed solar
time, and the low end of the quadrant
is attached to the wall of the gnomon.
The west quadrant shows the hours This process of bending, or adjusting the
from 6:00 A.M. to noon and the east curved edges of the quadrant to fit the
quadrant shows noon to 6:00 P.M. index is how the exact shape of the
quadrant is achieved. The index is a
Apply glue only to the first three or four perfect quarter circle in the plane of
tabs, and carefully position the index. the equator, and when the quadrant
Note that the tabs on the ligher side of sides have been made even with its
the quadrant need to bend at a sharper edge, they will be in their correct archi-
angle than the tabs on the lower side. tectural form.
This will become more pronounced
as you progress up to the top of the Now apply glue to the remaining tabs and
quadrant. finish pressing the index into place. At
its correct length, the index extends
about 1/8” beyond the top of the
quadrant.

7
Entry Steps, Gnomon
Entrance, and Cupola
Follow the same procedures that you used
to make the quadrant supports to make
the entry steps, gnomon entrance, and
cupola. The photos at left and below
show these parts at various stages of
Entry Steps Cupola
assembly.
Glue one section at a time, and allow the The cupola is very small. Use the edge of
glue to set before moving to the next a credit card to help make the folds.
section. Use a small flat wooden stick to press
the roof into place when gluing.

Gnomon Entry
Old credit cards make good tools for bend-
ing small pieces and tabs

8
Final Assembly around the gnomon, lining up with the Apply glue to the bottom of the east quad-
outline on the base. rant support, and also to the bottom
and side edges of the east quadrant.
Place the quadrant on the base with
the lower end against the gnomon, and
immediately place the quadrant sup-
port on the base so that the dotted line
on its inside edge meets the quadrant,
and it fits into its outline on the base.

Follow the same steps to attach the west

Now that you have completed all the parts, quadrant and supporting structure.
it is time to attach them to the base.

Quadrants and Supporting

Gnomon Structures
Begin with the gnomon, applying a line of
glue to each side of the bottom piece Test fit the east quadrant and its support
structure to the base. If you made the
simple quadrant, note the angled line on
the supporting structure. This shows the
correct angle for the quadrant. If you feel
confident with straightedge and knife, you
may wish to trim the bottom edge of the
quadrant at an angle so that it will be flat
on the base when glued. It isn’t necessary,
but will give a slightly cleaner look.

Carefully position the gnomon over the

outline on the base, and press into This is the time to glue the index, or hour
place, holding firmly until the glue sets. scale, to the quadrant (if you built the
advanced quadrant you’ve already
done this step). The end that would
correspond to 12:00 should be even
with the lowest end of the quadrant. This is how your model should look at this
The curved edge of the quadrant stage (simple version). If you made the
should be in the middle of the index. advanced quadrants, follow the same
Having the index even with the end procedure to glue them into place.
of the quadrant is important for time They will be at the correct angle when
telling accuracy, because the wall of the their bottom is glued down to the base.
gnomon represents noon in observed
solar time, and the low end of the
quadrant is attached to the wall of the
gnomon. The west quadrant shows the
hours from 6:00 A.M. to noon and the
east quadrant shows noon to 6:00 P.M.
Gnomon entry vestibule

Attach the gnomon entry vestibule by The photo above shows the index being
applying glue to the inside edges and positioned on the east quadrant with-
tabs and carefully slipping it into place out the gnomon in place.
9
Base Walls and Entry Steps Test fit the short wall section (#2) between Your model should now look like this.
the entry steps and the quadrant
support. Apply glue only to the bottom
Test fit and then glue the long wall (wall edge and the edge that will meet the
section #8) to the base in the corre- quadrant support. The outer surface,
sponding location. The wall sections including the joints with the steps
are numbered and corresponding num- and step wall, will be covered with a
bers are printed on the base. Be sure printed texture that will also help hold
you glue the wall section to the the wall section in place. Remember
base with the printed side facing to install with the printed side
in. The outer surface will be covered facing in.
with a printed texture in a later step!

Outer Wall Surface

Cut the outer wall surfaces from the print-

ed sheet, being sure to write the num-
ber of each section on the back. Apply
glue along the top, bottom, and sides
Test fit and glue the entry steps into of the outer surface of the wall, and
position on the base. Apply glue to the press the wall surface into place. Use
bottom and side of the steps where a credit card to smooth and flatten the
they will meet the base wall. paper. Repeat this process to complete
the outer wall surfaces.

Continue to fit and then glue the remain-

ing wall sections, 3 through 7, always
with the printed side facing in.

Glue the entry step wall (wall section #1)

to the side of the entry steps so that
the sloped edge of the wall matches
the slope of the steps. The printed side
of this wall faces out (away from the
steps).

10
Wall Caps

Cut 3/16” (5mm) wide strips from the

sheet of base wall texture. Apply glue
to the top of a wall section and press
one of the strips into place. Once the
glue has set, trim the strip flush with
the end of the wall section using sharp
scissors or a modeling knife.

Repeat this process for the remaining wall

sections, and your model is com-
plete!

11
The Samrat Yantra is what is called an
Telling Time To adjust for the longitude of your loca-
equinoctial or equatorial sundial. tion, you need to determine how far
When the gnomon is oriented north- east or west you are from the center of
south, with the high side facing north, your time zone.
shadow of the gnomon on the quad- The center longitude of your time zone
rant will move along the quadrant at a can be determined by how many hours
constant rate. your clock differs from Greenwich
Mean Time GMT. Each hour corre-
sponds to one time zone which = 150.
For example, New York City has a lon-
gitude of 740. It is in the eastern time
zone (EST) which is 5 hours behind
The photo above shows the angle of the GMT. The center longitude of EST is
gnomon to be 27 0 with the sundial flat 5 x 150 = 750, so New York City’s longi-
on a table. tude is 10 east of the center longitude.
If you live west of the center of your time
The photo below shows the sundial
zone, add 4 minutes for each degree
shimmed with a block of wood at the
of difference from the center of your
To set up your sundial, use a compass to front to put the angle of the gnomon
time zone. If you live east of the
determine magnetic north, and align at 42 0 (which is my lattitude here in
center, then subtract 4 minutes for each
the sundial so that the gnomon is paral- Ithaca, NY).
degree. Thus for New York City, you
lel to the compass needle with the high
would subtract 4 minutes from the
side of the gnomon to the north. For
observed time. If you lived in Cleve-
greater accuracy, you may wish to look
land, Ohio, longitude 81.70 west, (6.70
up the magnetic deviation from true
west of the center of the eastern time
north for your location, but a magnetic
zone) you would add 4 x 6.7 = 26.8
north will give pretty good results.
minutes to the observed time.
In the photo below, I’ve used a compass
The second variable is the difference
to find magnetic north and made the
between apparent solar time and mean
gnomon paralell to the compass needle.
solar time. Due to the obliquity of the
earth’s equator, and the eccentricity
You can use a bubble level style angle find- of the earth’s orbit, the apparent or
er as shown above, or there are handy observed solar time (what you will
apps for smartphones, like the one in record on your sundial) varies from
the photo below. clock time throughout the year. Your
sundial time will run behind clock time
from 0-15 minutes in January-March
and June-August, and will be ahead
of clock time by the same amount in
April-May and September-December.
The adjustment is given by the equation
The original Samrat Yantra is located in of time and there are many websites
Jaipur, India, which has a latitude of that provide tables and graphs to give
about 27 degrees. Look up the latitude you the precise number of minutes to
for your location, and use shims (small add or subtract to your observed solar
blocks of wood are good for this) under time in order to “equate” with clock
the base to adjust the angle of the time.
Once you have your sundial set up, you
gnomon. Use an angle finder to adjust
will be observing “local time.” To
the model so that the slope of the top The third variable is daylight saving time.
determine the correct time for your
edge of the gnomon corresponds to the If you are observing daylight saving
location, you will have to adjust for
latitude at your location. time, you will need to add another hour
three variables.
to your sundial time to compensate.
The first variable is your longitude (how
far east or west you are in your time
zone).

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